This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-26207315
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Syria talks: Mediator apology for lack of progress | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi has apologised to the Syrian people after peace talks in Geneva ended without making progress. | |
| He had held final discussions with both sides in Geneva in a last-ditch bid to break the stalemate between the Syrian government and opposition. | |
| He said the main sticking point was the government, which refused again to talk about a transitional governing body. | |
| The conflict in Syria has claimed more than 100,000 lives since March 2011. | |
| The discussions on Saturday morning lasted just 27 minutes, after which Mr Brahimi emerged looking tired to address reporters, the BBC's Imogen Foulkes reports from Geneva. | |
| Mr Brahimi apologised to the Syrian people, admitting that the talks "had not come out with very much". | |
| Although the two sides had agreed on an agenda for the next round, Mr Brahimi said the government had rejected his suggestion to begin a third round by spending a day focusing on combating violence and terrorism, and a second day discussing a transitional government. | |
| The opposition has long insisted on a transitional government that does not include President Bashar al-Assad or any of his loyalists. | |
| The government has always rejected this and said there is no question of Mr Assad leaving power. | |
| Mr Brahimi said both sides needed "to go back to their base" for consultations and to think about whether they wanted the process to continue or not. | |
| He said no date had been set for a third round of talks. |